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Rishi Sunak was unsure the government’s scheme to send migrants to Rwanda would stop channel crossings when he was chancellor, according to documents.
The BBC said it had seen No 10 papers from March 2022, a month before the plan was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson, which showed that Mr Sunak was not convinced of the plan’s effectiveness.
Mr Sunak, who became prime minister in October 2022, has made the Rwanda plan one of his top priorities despite a string of delays due to legal challenges.
The documents suggest Mr Sunak felt “hotels are cheaper” than reception centres to house migrants and that he was also concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to Africa and wanted to limit the numbers.
The BBC said the documents revealed the “chancellor wants to pursue smaller volumes initially” with 500 flown to Rwanda in the first year of the scheme, instead of the proposed 1,500.
They say he then proposed “3,000 instead of 5,000 in years two and three”.
He is described as believing the “deterrent won’t work”.
The documents, which say No 10 suggested Mr Sunak needed to “consider his popularity with the base” over the Rwanda plan, said the then chancellor was reluctant to fund “Greek-style reception centres” at a cost of £3.5 million a day to house migrants in favour of hotels.
Mr Sunak has pledged to continue with the plan for migrant flights to Rwanda, despite a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that it was unlawful, while the BBC said a source close to the prime minister said he was “always fully behind the principle of the scheme” but need to ensure money was “appropriately spent” in his role as chancellor.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC: “The prime minister knew the plan was incredibly costly and wouldn’t work, and resisted it while he was chancellor.
“But he is so weak he has now agreed to write cheques to Rwanda for £400 million without sending a single person there in a desperate attempt to shore up his leadership.”
Mr Sunak reiterated his support for the Rwanda plan on Tuesday, saying: “I am focused on delivering on my commitment to stop the boats and get flights off the ground to Rwanda.”
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